Eligens
by Sailing1488
Summary: A Jily (James/Lily) AU. In the fine land of Hogwarts, each year there is a Choosing. Five girls are chosen per noble. Lily Evans lives a simple life until it takes a wild turn into the arms of Noble James Charlus Potter. What will happen to Lily's future? Will she marry the renowned noble or be sent home in shame? Rated T as of now. In-Progress.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Clearly, this is a Jily AU. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a Selection crossover, but it's based off some of the same ideas.**

 **This is set in the beautiful kingdom of Hogwarts. It is arguably the finest and most beautiful kingdom apart from Beauxbatons. Complete with rolling hills, winding rivers, grassy plains, marbled architecture, and cascading waterfalls, it is a sight.**

 **But who inhabits these beautiful grounds, you may wonder? Who rids the kingdom of bandits and Death Eaters under the rule of the soldier-gone-wrong Voldemort? Why is it the safest kingdom?**

 **Beautiful people and creatures inhabit it. Tucked away from the rest of the world, live unicorns and griffins, elves and goblins. Wizards, witches, creatures of all kinds. Nobles, princes, princesses.**

 **This all sounds beautiful and just. But yet, there is still turmoil in the kingdom caused by Lord Voldemort. Each year, in an effort to repopulate from the killings, each noble (much like purebloods) submit a paper describing their perfect match. The cavalry searches far and wide for anyone with a feature exact to so described. Five matches are brought in to the noble, who then holds a series of trials to determine which is most compatible with him.**

 **And so the story begins.**

In the small settlement of Cokesworth the Evans' family began to awaken. The sun shone brightly through the poorly shaded windows, wreathing the 17-year-old Lily Evans' form in light. Her hair positively was set on fire in the sun's light, casting red shadows around the loft in which she slept.

Per usual, Lily was the first awake. The redhead let herself drift in and out of the region between sleep until her mind became bored with it. Ready to begin the day, she shifted on her straw mattress to face her sisters Violet and Petunia. The latter was snoring softly while the former was but a lump beneath the sheets.

Petunia was a thin, bony-faced woman about the age of twenty. She was neat, organized, and maybe overly clean. There was no straw around her mattress, not a single grain. Violet was the opposite. A round-faced, cheery 12-year old, she was messy and unorganized. Their mother, in private, occasionally called Lily the 'perfect medium' between the two.

Lily quietly rolled out of her bed and pulled her nightdress over her head, the faded yellow blending with the straw floor. She wrapped a towel around herself and stepped down the ladder from the loft where she and her sisters slept. Her parents slept directly below it, and seven yards away were their horse and cows.

The redhead creaked the barn door open and slipped out. Lily breathed in the fresh morning air, savoring each breath and only letting it out when she needed to breathe again. She tipped her face up to the warm sun and sighed deeply. At last opening her eyes, she gazed fondly around the field. Looking around for any sign of life, she began to run to the pond.

The grass was damp on her bare feet as she ran like a gazelle, probably looking laughable to any onlooker, although to her it was not. As soon as she reached the glassy water, she removed a bar of soap from a stump, shed her towel, and dove in.

As Lily sunk deeper, the color behind her eyelids faded to a deep black. She stretched out her fingers, brushing the top of weeds. With a final stroke downward, her feet hit the bottom and she shot upwards toward the light. The bar of soap bobbed next to her, and she scrubbed herself down.

She stood up and inspected herself. There was still plenty of dirt ingrained in her skin, but it was a good enough job. It wasn't like any nobles were looking for anyone like her. Too-pale skin, green eyes that stood out from her face, a hoard of freckles, and flaming red hair. That's what Petunia had told her, anyway. But she liked herself just fine the way she was, although she wished she would tan instead of burning.

There was a chance that anyone from 16-25 (who was not currently married or engaged, of course) could be chosen for the Choosing. Lily was 19, and had just graduated from her school, Hogwarts Academy. So she had a relatively fair chance of being chosen. 19 and 20 were the most popular ages. She floated on her back for a moment, and then waded over to shallower water.

Lily exited the pond and wrapped the towel around herself. She returned to the barn and opened the front door and slipped back in.

Everyone but Petunia had awoken so far and was getting ready for the festivities that day. The Choosing Day was probably the most enjoyable ceremony in the town, especially because of the delicious, fresh food.

"Lily, come here," her mother instructed, holding a folded piece of cloth. It proved to be a pleasant blue checkered dress, which Lily donned after climbing up the ladder and fully drying off.

Her father had just arrived back from the smokehouse with the smoked pig. Although a grill was perhaps easier to use, the Evans found that the smokehouse gave it a more smoky taste than any other way.

"Dad, get that disgusting thing away from me!" Petunia squealed as she came down the ladder, hair in curlers.

Her father just sighed and began to wrap the pig up. LiTly, always eager to lend a hand to her father, rushed forward but was stopped by her mother. "Here, try something with me for a change," she said.

Lily nodded cheerfully and trotted after her mother. Together they began to walk to the garden to harvest fresh herbs to boil into the chicken soup.

"Head over to the drying racks to get the dried herbs. Oregano, basil, and bay leaves should be plenty." Her mother said. "I'll get these ones. Meet you back at the house."

Lily gathered the dried herbs and returned to the house and picked up her knitting project. Petunia had just finished a scarf to donate for the wintertime, her third one for the week. Lily couldn't seem to get the hang of the work. Hers came out with knots and missed rows and once she had almost stabbed someone's eye out with her needles. Needless to say, it wasn't her favorite thing to do.

After one knotted row, her hands felt cramped and tired. Sighing, she stretched out her shoulders and checked the position of the sun. About nine a.m. The festivities began at ten. Her mouth watered at the delicious scents rising from the kitchen. Violet, who had a deep passion for food and cooking, would of course be in the kitchen.

"'Tuney, would you do my hair for me?" Lily asked, using her childhood nickname for Petunia.

The older girl sighed heavily. "Can't you see I'm busy?" But she sat down and deftly braided Lily's hair. "There, happy now?"

"Yes, thank you," Lily replied. She smiled cheerfully at her sister, and went to go see if she could be of use in the kitchen.

After a half hour had passed, all three Evans girls began transporting the goods out the door. They set up a stand for hot cider, maple syrup figures, and apple pies. Always popular toward the beginning of fall.

The day passed faster than anyone could have ever imagined, and soon the cavalry galloped into the small town. A hush quickly fell over the gathered crowd, only broken by an occasional giggle or whisper.

Lily clung to her friend Marlene McKinnon's arm nervously. The two girls were no better than the offensive gigglers and whisperers. Each was filled with a nervous tension they would be chosen.

The dashing soldiers gathered into a line. The central soldier (Sir Pemberton) cleared his throat and unrolled the scroll of descriptions.

Sir Pemberton was an old, jolly man with a thick white mustache and twinkling blue eyes. He had been reading descriptions for as long as the oldest person in Cokesworth had been around.

"Ahern. Thank you for gathering here today. As usual, no formal speeches. You will find out which noble you are assigned to later." The merry man looked down at his paper. "Blonde." Marlene rose into the air, propelled by a pale blue light. "Green eyes." Dorcas descended. "Freckles." The two remaining in the air spun to face each other. "Humorous." One descended, sour-faced, while the other moved forward through the crowd. Cokesworth was a small town, the population about 150, explaining the lack of green-eyed blondes.

Sir Pemberton moved through the list quickly as usual. Lily was just beginning to nod off, for after all it was nearly midnight, when she shot up into the air for the first time. Looking around, there were twelve other girls, including Marlene. " _What did he say?_ " she mouthed at her friend.

" _Independent,_ " she replied. Lily nodded.

"Strong-willed," three girls sank.

"Unique," six down, all wearing the same dress. They glared at each other.

There was Marlene, Lily, and another girl Lily didn't know.

"And lastly..." Sir Pemberton said dramatically, for this was the second-to-last noble on the list.

"Funny." The last girl sank, leaving Lily and Marlene looking confused. Only one girl from each town could be picked, if any.

"These were the requirements for two nobles. Proceed, girls." Sir Pemberton said with a smile.

"Marls...we got picked!" Lily said, barely able to contain her excitement.

"I know!" Marlene said, wrapping Lily in a tight hug.

Lily looked up into the night confidently, shocked but happy. Soon, she would be living in a castle, with (hopefully) her future husband.

What she didn't know is that her noble would be the one she least expected.

* * *

 **A/N: So? Love it, hate it? Review! I swear it'll get more interesting. Flames welcomed, as long as you explain why. Will try to update by every weekend.**

 **Oh yeah-and doing a SYOC for girls, nobles, etc. I'm planning on having Sirius, James, and Remus with a hint of Peter for the main nobles. Reccomendations for book characters welcomed.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Shoutout to whoever reviewed-can't remember your usernames-but thanks so much!** **Oh, and by the way, there is absolutely no need to look at my other story. It's terrible. Cx.**

Twenty-four hours and plenty of tears later, Lily Evans was nervously sitting on a small jet gripping the armrests. She clutched a bundle of addresses in her right hand. It had been hard to part from her family and friends (many of which were bitter they'd been left behind), so she'd insisted on writing them.

Before today, she'd had no idea planes even existed. The flight attendant and pilot had quickly explained the contraption to her upon her asking. It almost seemed like magic of sorts, which she knew only existed in the dying species of mythical creatures.

Marlene sat on her right, looking positively cheery and curious. Unlike Lily, she'd been happy to leave her envious family. She was quite the rebellious child, in Lily's opinion.

The plane gave a sudden rumble beneath Lily and her stomach clenched. Sharing a nervous glance with Marlene, she muttered "I wonder if they're trying to kill us off before this thing even starts," earning a laugh from her companion.

Shortly after the plane lifted off, Lily was able to relax and marvel in the beauty of her kingdom from above. Looking over to her right, she noted Marlene was wearing a smudge of makeup. Lily had never bothered to use makeup unless it was an extremely special occasion, which were few and far between. Plus, she'd heard that there were extensive spa treatments as soon as they arrived. Lily reckoned she would need all of it.

The plane touched down about three hours later, according to her new watch. It had been her grandfather's, but her father rarely wore it in fear of breaking it out in the field. It was a bit dented on one side, but worked just wonderfully. It was silver, with a blue-velvet colored interior and silver hands.

"Marls," Lily said as they collected their luggage from under the seats. "D'you ever wonder who these nobles of ours are?"

"Well, yeah," the blonde said. "Hard not to."

"I just hope it won't be old Slughorn," Lily said, suppressing a giggle.

Marlene laughed. "Aren't you supposed to be the same age, anyway?"

"Fair point," the redhead remarked. The two stepped off the plane onto a large, old fashioned drawbridge.

Lily had to shield her eyes from the brightness of the castle. It was made out of white, sparkling marble inlaid with veins of gold. A clear moat ran around it, making it look modern yet traditional. Gold-plated double doors swung open upon their entry, making way for loud trumpets announcing their arrival.

"Miss Marlene McKinnon of Cokesworth!" A small elf announced. The trumpets sang and the crowd clapped.

"Miss Lily Evans, also of Cokesworth!" The same reaction.

As soon as the clapping stopped, eight people dressed in simple pants and collared shirts escorted the girls along. "Welcome to the castle of Hogwarts," they chorused. "We'll be your spa crew. Come along now!"

The girls eventually had to peel apart into two different doors, each marked with a number. Lily stepped into a plain, white-walled room with nothing but a large tub and a shower.

"Change into this robe, please," a crew member instructed. They politely looked away while she changed into the uncomfortably short robe.

The crew circled her like a flock of crows, inspecting her flaws. She crossed her hands over her chest uncomfortably.

They began to measure her after. Everywhere she looked, measuring tapes. Clearly they took 'the perfect fit' very seriously. Finally, the frenzy stopped. The crew handed her bottles upon bottles of soaps and shampoos and conditioners, along with instructions on how to use each one. At last she stepped into the hot stream of water from the shower head.

She marveled in the heat and technology first, then began on the soaps. The first one set her skin bubbling, and she stared at it in horror, sure she had done something wrong.

She let out a sigh as she remembered this was the soap that would lift dirt to the surface of her skin. The pale green soap bubbles began to turn a pale brown. Lily stared down, disturbed. But she did as they said and lathered it on, producing a mild tingling sensation.

Next came dead skin removal, skin softener, and a soap that was supposed to make her skin a pleasant hue. She did suppose she had a bad overall tan, anyway. Marlene always teased her about it.

After that came the shampoos. Looking at them nervously, Lily began with the dirt lifter. Her scalp bubbled rather unpleasantly and out came plenty of dirt. Frowning slightly, she used the next one, designed to remove dead hairs. Red hair pooled in the drain. The next one was designed to keep her color.

The shower took at least half an hour until Lily stepped out, feeling fully fresh. She wrapped a white, fluffy towel around herself and stepped into the next room.

The spa crew dove on her like she was food they hadn't eaten in weeks. They began to wax her legs. Lily gritted her teeth as they ripped out her leg hair.

After they had finished with that, they massaged moisturizer into her legs and arms. They made her stand in a small stall that sprayed her with strange, foreign scents and mists. The end effect wqs far too overpowering for Lily. But then came a strong mint spray, clearing the others away.

"There!" the head of her crew said. Lindsay, or at least that's what her nametag read. "Now, our tailors have come to the conclusion that either blue or green will look best on you. Blue, of course, would set off your hair nicely but green would match your eyes. I think we'll go with blue, right Lily?"

Lily nodded. "Sounds wonderful," she said politely.

Lindsay smiled. "So we'll do royal blue polish to match." The other members began on the polishing of her nails. A hairdresser was called in to trim Lily's hair.

At last, about four hours after she had begun, Lily was ready to see her dress for the Welcome Ball that night. Gazing at herself in the mirror, she looked like a different girl.

Her red hair fell in long waves down her back. Her eyes were tastefully accented by silver eyeshadow and her cheekbones were accentuated by bronzer. Her lips had been painted almost the exact shade of red as her hair.

A covered closet stood in the center of the mirrored room. Lindsay walked forward to whisk off the cover.

Hanging on the doorhandle was possibly the most beautiful dress Lily had ever seen. It was long and blue, with layers flowing like cascading water. Smears of silver made it glisten in the light. It was sleveless, with an open back.

Lindsay helped Lily into the dress. "Thank you," Lily whispered reverently. Lindsay nodded, stepping back into the rest of the crew, who were sobbing. "So beautiful!" they cried.

Lily did not want to cry in fear of messing up the artwork that was her face, so she simply held her arms open as they all flowed in for a large hug.

"Go on now," Lindsay said, swiping away a tear. "Go enjoy the ball!"

A servant was waiting right outside the door. His eyes widened. "Milady, you are beautiful," he said nervously.

"Thank you!" Lily said, a smile overcoming her face.

"Follow me to your rooms," the man said, setting off on a course. Lily tried her best to remember it. Up the spiral marble stairs, around the corner with the jade vase, up the golden staircase, past the ocean painting, and around the next corner.

"Here," the man said respectfully, opening the door. Lily had a sharp intake of breath.

Her room was dominated by a color scheme of blues and silvers, much like her dress. Tall, arching blue flowers sat on a low white coffee table surrounded by navy chairs and sofas. A huge white king bed surrounded by navy curtains accented with silver had two bedside tables with carafés of iced lemon water on them. The closet was enormous, and it was filled with all sorts of other outfits. Soft, thick sweaters, bathing suits, elegant cocktail dresses she had only seen worn on the Screen back at home, incredibly high heels, tall boots, and much more.

Lily sat back on her bed, overwhelmed by it all. "Are you pleased, miss?" asked a young woman dressed in a maid's outfit. She was accompanied by another maid. They both looked nervous, as if they expected Lily to throw something at them.

"Yes, wonderfully!" Lily exclaimed. "I'm Lily Evans. What are your names?" she asked gently.

The maids gave a hopeful glance at each other. "I'm Fiona," the older said. "Emily," the other said in a whisper almost too quiet to hear.

"It's lovely to meet you," Lily said.

"We'll be taking care of you for the rest of this time," Fiona said.

Just then, the bell rung twice, signifying it was time to go downstairs into the ballroom.

The Choosing had begun.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: **Thanks for all the support guys! Your reviews have got me smiling big :D Anyway, off to an award ceremony now. Fingers crossed I get something?**

Lily hurried down the long winding stairs, pushed along by a rainbow sea of rustling dresses. Through the crowd she saw a familiar blond head. "Marlene!" she called, trying to push over to her friend but ended up being glared at by the other girls. She blushed to match her red hair and continued down the stairs.

They flowed in through a large set of golden double doors and were told to find their seat by an uptight butler. One very long table was just about the only decoration in the room. It was large and cavernous, and the walls had a few large, clearly expensive, paintings mounted on them.

Lily noted how the table was set up. Noble, five girls (or men, but the preference was mostly female) noble, five girls, and so forth. Unsure of who her noble was, she went down the table. The nobles didn't seem to be in any particular order. There would be a Xavier, and then an Aaron. She assumed the nobles had set it themselves so they could be seated next to their friends.

She saw Marlene a few seats ahead of her, looking in horror at the noble she'd been assigned to. "Sirius Black?" she said to Lily, looking up. "Sure, he's attractive, but he's so arrogant!" Lily put an arm around her friend.

"You're down that way," Marlene said, pointing. Lily followed her gaze and walked down the table until she reached her place setting.

 _Lily Evans of Cokesworth_

 _Noble James Charlus Potter_

James Potter? _James Potter?_ He was just as bad as Sirius! The arrogant fool. He had sent all five girls back upon the first day last year. Scowling, Lily sat down with a thud onto the plush velvet chair.

A few minutes later, all the girls had sat down. Lily had found her neighbors to be pleasant, if not unusual. One had vibrant green hair, multiple piercings, and tattoos twisting up her arms, which she was explaining to Lily how she'd gotten.

"And this one is for my ex-boyfriend," she said. "See how this shark is eating this tiny fish? That fish is him," she finished violently. Certainly unique, Lily thought. Her other neighbor was a short, fiery blonde, dressed in a tight-fitting dress that Lily thought a bit too seductive for the situation. She had introduced herself as Amora, and the other as Scalene. The other two girls seemed to be the classic shallow type, probably the leaders of their cliques to fit the unique criteria. Each wore showy dresses with plunging necklines and slits up the legs.

Just then, the doors exploded open and nobles flooded in, taking their seats around the table. The only ones missing were James and Sirius. Sighing, Lily placed her head in her hands. King Dumbledore was seated at the head of the table, a small smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. The doors swung shut as the last noble shuffled in. Sirius and James were nowhere to be seen.

Dumbledore looked around for them, clearly amused judging by his grin. They were probably playing pranks on the poor maids, Lily thought furiously.

The doors exploded open onto two breathless, red faced men that were clearly Sirius and James. "Sorry, lovely ladies and gentlemen," Sirius called, smirking and sauntering in. "We were fencing with the knights-one does have to get some practice."

The hall chuckled except for Lily and Marlene, who leaned back in their seats and rolled their eyes at each other. James sat down in the seat next to one of the shallower girls, who giggled and shifted so James got a view down her dress. He smirked and Lily hated him for it. Did he care about personality at all?

Dumbledore cleared his throat and clinked his spoon on his goblet. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen of Hogwarts!" A cheer rose up from the table, echoing off the walls. "A few words about your schedules and such-tonight, you'll each meet with your nobles. Tomorrow, breakfast will be served from six to ten, lunch is from twelve to two, and you must all show for dinner at eight. You may arrange meetings with friends or nobles, although I do recommend you choose your wardrobes," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "Anyway, let us begin!"

The doors swung open for the third time that night and in entered servants bearing large platters, swooping in around the tables and placing them down. Large, elegant pitchers of dark wine and other exotic drinks were set upon the table.

Lily was overwhelmed by the food. It was much different than the simple farm food at home. After a moment, she selected a tender cut of steak drenched in sauce, thick green beans slathered in truffle butter, a heaping of mashed potatoes, and filled her goblet with water. Lily cut into the steak, which practically exploded with flavors into her mouth. Sighing contentedly, she slowly made her way through the plate.

Around her, others attacked the food viciously. A girl to her right was picking at a plate full of lettuce and eyeing up another girl's plate. Most, however, had put aside dietary needs or wants in order to eat the delicious food.

Noticing most people had gone for second or third helpings, Lily thought about her family back at home. There was sometimes not even enough to count as a first helping down at their farmhouse during the wintertime. Since Cokesworth was a very small settlement, shipments from the castle only came once every two months, which was not quite enough especially during the winter. One could only live off of smoked meats for so long.

But deciding to enjoy the food for her family, she took a small portion of a particularly delicious looking salad and finished it, then sat back and awaited any other announcements.

Shortly dessert was served, bringing with it dishes Lily couldn't even think to name. She watched as James cut into a fiery red cake, and fan his mouth frantically while Sirius Black roared with laughter. Smirking slightly, Lily scanned the table for anything she knew.

"I would recommend this," Amora said with an accent, she was clearly from around Beauxbatons. It was unusual for a candidate from another country to come, although the girls who lived by the border of Beauxbatons were notoriously beautiful, according to legend.

"Hm?" Lily said. "Oh, what is it?" Amora raised her eyebrows.

"It is a cream of peppermint pie, delicious and good for figure. Well known in my parts," she said, and Lily could tell she had no time for a bumpkin farm girl. Amora shifted away to speak to her other neighbor.

Lily's eyes alighted on a strawberry cheescake-Violet's favorite. She selected a slice and ate it in honor of her sister.

After Lily had finished, she put her plate back and yawned. Just then, James tapped her on the shoulder. "Potter," she ground out.

He looked mildly surprised. "Miss Lily Evans," he said, delicately kissing her hand. Scowling, Lily snatched it back. "I really have no time for you and your arrogant ways. If you'd just switch my noble- or send me home- that would be wonderful."

"I think just by saying that I won't," Potter said. James was too informal, Lily had decided.

Lily gritted her teeth. "Look, I'm no one special. Just leave me be."

Looking slightly hurt, Potter just smirked at her and began to talk with Amora, who shamelessly flirted with him. Scalene next to her sat back unhappily. "He's not my type," she whispered nervously.

Lily silently agreed, but didn't say anything. King Dumbledore spoke again, and Lily was aware of people pushing back their chairs and leaving the hall.

She joined the crowd. They flowed into a large ballroom, where nobles and their selectees danced to a waltz.

Lily sidled over to Marlene and stayed there talking until the party ended. Although Lily hadn't consumed alcohol, she felt dizzy and tipsy as she wandered up the stairs. Vaguely wondering if someone had spiked the small cupcake she had eaten at the party, she stripped down and put on perhaps the most comfortable pajamas she had worn in her life.

She snuggled under the sheets and fell asleep with the lights still on.

 **A/N: Sorry this took forever, school started and I haven't been around! I'm sorry this 'medieval' world has a few modern aspects to it. :) Have a lovely day and don't forget to Review!**


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